


The Case of the Bewitched Burglars

by moth2fic



Series: The Malfoy Connection [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Lewis (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 17:13:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9773930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moth2fic/pseuds/moth2fic
Summary: Oliver Owl is useful, Draco is useful, Monty is not useful, James is out at music practice and Robbie is definitely not asleep.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for International Fanworks Day 2017.  
> This ficlet is part of a series where Hathaway and Lewis are living together. It has no explicit sexual content but the implied relationship is based on the series as a whole. People asked for more about Oliver Owl, so here he is, with a ficlet where he plays the starring role.

Oliver Owl huffed softly.

His partner, James, the tall blond, was out somewhere with that thing that made a screeching noise. He thought they called it a 'music' but wasn't sure. He'd heard a word that sounded like 'gutter' (but with the accent on the second syllable), too.

His partner's partner, Robbie, the shorter one with the darker feathers, was asleep on the couch. He shouldn't really be asleep yet. It was high time they had some eggs and then chicks to keep them busy and awake. He couldn't imagine why they didn't.

That cat was prowling, pretending to be a guard cat. Fat lot of use it was. Arrogant, opinionated thing.

Now he, Oliver Owl, was useful. His hearing was excellent and unlike Monty, he sat still and listened. Which was why he heard footsteps where there shouldn't be any footsteps and whispers that were so soft that they wouldn't wake the partner's partner. It wasn't the partner's cousin. That one just apparated in and out as he pleased and never worried about making a noise. It wasn't the aurors, either. They always called first one way or another.

If he flew down to the door to investigate he risked being caught, however careful he was, and that would never do. Who knew what weapons they might have? He saw a flash of silver and suspected a knife but it turned out to be some kind of tool to open locks.

Well, he wasn't only a pretty face with good sight and hearing. He was very, very fast, as befitted a courier owl in magical employ.

oOoOoOoOoOo

He tapped imperiously on the window of the Manor and when a house elf came to see what was going on he brushed them aside and flew in. He found Draco in the library and made it extremely clear that there was SOMETHING GOING ON. It wasn't hard, really. Draco was startled and then concerned to see Oliver without either James or a message. As Oliver had expected, he apparated to Oxford in an instant.

The burglars had just got the lock undone and were pushing the door inwards when Draco drew his wand from his sleeve. Oliver felt satisfied that they had both been exceedingly fast.

"Colloshoo," Draco said, almost lazily, and Oliver saw the two men struggling, ineffectively, to lift their feet. Clever, he thought. They would think they had stood in something sticky and never realise they had been hexed.

Then Draco spoke again. "Diminuendo," he said. At once, the men were the size of mice. Oliver salivated.

"I'll lift the sticking hex," said Draco, “and then you can take them far away. You can even chase them and give them a fright. But no eating. Understand?"

Oliver understood. It was disappointing but it would be fun to scare the two malefactors. He wouldn't dare disobey Draco; if he ate these mice the leather and metal in their clothing, not to mention their buttons, would show up in his pellets.

He swooped as Draco lifted the colloshoo hex, and saw the men's eyes widen as his huge, to them, feathered form darkened the evening sky still further. They started to run, luckily away from the house rather than indoors, but Oliver had no difficulty in catching them. One grasped in each set of talons, he set off for Oxford's famous water meadows. Draco must have spelled himself to follow in some fashion because when Oliver arrived, Draco was already there, looking bored but admiring a small group of fritillaries. Oliver wondered how Draco had known it would be the water meadows, but then remembered that Draco always knew everything. 

When Oliver put the mice down, the wizard lifted the diminuendo charm and the men shook themselves. They looked at Oliver and at Draco and one seemed about to speak but Draco forestalled him.

"Nobody will believe you, you know." He was drawling, sounding every inch the pampered upper class student he resembled, and not like a magic user at all. Oliver hooted his agreement. The men turned and ran, stumbling. Oliver was regretful as he let them go. He was sure they would have tasted good.

He went back to the house, arriving just as James got back from wherever he went with his music (or his gutter). Draco apparated to the kitchen and watched while James made a cup of tea. Three cups, one each for himself, Draco, and Robbie. They woke Robbie who insisted that he hadn't been asleep at all. It seemed to be an evening for disbelief all round.

"You need a better security system," Draco told Oliver's people. "And Oliver needs a treat."

As he told the other two what had happened, Oliver preened his feathers proudly, then perched on James' shoulder, nibbling his ear with love and anticipation.

The treat was a whole slice of bacon, cooked especially for Oliver, crispy and curling, just the way he liked it. He didn't even have to share it with Monty.

Oliver Owl huffed softly. Life was good.


End file.
